Suggestions for charming town pls!
 

I am to organise a two week European holiday for 4 women, all high school friends who each celebrate a significant birthday next year. I would greatly appreciate suggestions from readers with personal experience. We are to spend the entire two weeks in the one place, but will not have transport, so it must be accessible by train (or bus...) from an airport. The brief is for a largish, charming town (but not a huge city), with plenty to see and do. Favoured countries appear to be France, Italy, Germany & Austria, but I am open to suggestions. We all like to walk (and indeed, will have to!), although 1 of our group is probably not up to hiking level, due to medical reasons. We all love art, history and European architecture, as well as good food and wine. A few suggestions from the group so far include Positano in Italy, Strasbourg in France and Salzburg in Austria, but I am hoping for some "hidden treasures" from readers. Many thanks, Jane.

Hi MissJane,

I'm not sure if I like the idea of two weeks in one place but a suggestion could be Cinque Terra in Italy.

I have not personally been there but it does sound like it could fit your requirements but at least give you a different perspective each day.

You could also consider the Loire Valley in France but would recommend a car hire - I did this last year with 3 girlfriends and with 4 of you paying it makes the car hire very reasonable and it is extremely easy to get around the Loire Valley by car - really easy!

Well that's my two bob's worth but am looking forward to seeing what other suggestions may come up - I hope to have another girl's trip to plan as well!

the mosel/rhein area for a 5 days to a week of this trip. easy to access france and other parts once you want to expand.

public transportation is a nice combination of trains and boats along the mosel/rhein.

also good bus service to other areas.
Look at bernkastel kues for an idea of the quaintness of towns.

the wineries are amazing..

have fun no matter where you go.

i also agree two weeks in ONE place is a bit much for me.. i would be tempted to take a ryanair flight from HHN (frankfurt hahn ) to somewhere else for the second week, taking care with luggage restrictions.

Thank you Stormbird and Lincasanova! Stormbird, the Loire Valley is definately on the list - do you suggest a particlar town? Lincasanova, I love the idea of the Rhine/Moselle area, it's just that 2 of us have been to the Rhine area before. Bernkastel kues on the Moselle sure does look gorgeous though - any idea just how close to the French border you can get in the Moselle area? Strasbourg was my suggestion, as I hoped to convince the girls of 1 week in France, then 1 week in Germany. I think I would get bored after 2 weeks. But I think we want to keep the "moving" to a minimum. Thanks to you both - I've got a few new branches to research! Jane

How about Toulouse? TGV Links to Paris, not to mention a good airport, lovely mediaeval quarter, but busy commercial bits with nice shops and lots of riverside walks etc. Canal du Midi for trips into the countryside, andlots of architecture. I challenge anyone to find better food than the cuisne of the South West. The wine can be fine too, and you havea number of south west appellations to choose from.

Biarrtiz would be another option

The Rhein area has much to offer: scenery, boat trips, zillions of romantic castles, an outstanding monastery, wineries, picturesque towns...

The tributaries to the Rhein are similar - I recommend both the Mosel and the Ahr (the Ahr is strong in red wine).

The Rhein area has excellent train connections, so you have the chance for numerous daytrips, including

- Köln with cathedral & shrine of the three magi, romanesque churches, Roman ruins, outstanding art museums, chocolate museum

- Düsseldorf with beautiful riverwalk, old town, nightlife, excellent shopping, museums of contemporary art, Neanderthal museum

- Trier (on the Mosel) with outstanding Roman ruins and museum

- Aachen with cathedral from 800, medieval city hall.

From the Rhein you are within 3 hours in Strasbourg, and from there, you need just 2 hours to ride back to Frankfurt Airport. Hence, you might combine a week on the Rhein and another week in Alsace.

it should not be difficult to get anywhere in eastern france from the mosel area.

the area really is amazing.

have you thought about a couple days at a cooking school farm? might be a nice way to break up the time.

Not exactly hidden treasures but what about a week in Amsterdam and a week in Brugge? I agree that 2 weeks in one place is a bit much, I think I'd get restless.

From Brugge you could visit Brussels, Ghent or Antwerp, easy trips by train. We have found the food in Belgium is great and Brugge is just gorgeous. Hard to take a bad photo.

Or another thought is Nice. There are lots of places for day trips, either by bus or car. You can even go across the border for the day into Italy. If you click on my name you can find a report I did on our week in Nice last Christmas. It might give you some ideas.

I have to disagree with Stormbird's suggestion of Cinque Terre. We really liked it there but 4 days was one day too many. Not much there besides good views and hiking. Worth combining with Santa Margherita Ligure perhaps.

Good luck, have fun planning.
Kay

yes! have fun planning.

Part of me thinks two weeks in one place is a fine idea, but the bigger part of me sees it as a wasted opportunity, as there are SO MANY places to explore.

Now I confess to being a tourer at heart: 2-4 days in each spot usually. But that's because I don't mind moving. Every journey is an adventure!

Appreciate you want to keep your moving around to a minimum but just think how the plethora of budget airlines have changed everything. And there are some wonderful trains!

So please do consider a week here and a week there.

As to here and there .. Amsterdam and Bruges is a great suggestion. I guess you have already been to Venice, else that would be top of the list.

Have you considered Spain?

Thank you all so much! Brugge, Alsace & Toulouse now on the list too. Belgium is a great idea - can't believe I did not think of that! Amsterdam a bit too big for our purposes, and Spain perhaps too hot, but I want to thank you all for your kind tips and suggestions. I've now got a lot to go on with.... Jane.

>>We are to spend the entire two weeks in the one place, but will not have transport, so it must be accessible by train (or bus...) from an airport. The brief is for a largish, charming town (but not a huge city), with plenty to see and do.<<

IMO, it is not a bad idea to spend some time at one place and save the hassle of packing and unpacking, checking-out and checking-in.

At least if you pick an area with lots of attractions and good public transportation. The Rhein would meet these criteria perfectly. Strasbourg would also make a good base with options for daytrips to Colmar, Basel and Freiburg.

Positano, though nice, is somewhat isolated. You can make a boat trip to Capri, see Amalfi and make a daytrip to Pompeii and Vesuvius. Would be a good choice for a week, but not for two.

Salzburg is a charming town, but you do not have so many attractions in the area (besides heavy mountain hiking).

One week at the Rhein and one week in Strasbourg (or 8 days Rhein and 6 days Strasbourg) would make a perfect combination with quick and easy train connections from Frankfurt.

Certainly I know some other charming destinations in Germany (the Harz, Franken..) but the Rhein/Mosel region has those fabulous railroads (and the boats).

Actually, I've had a lovely time for two weeks in one place with a group of women: once in Pfarrwerfen in Austria, once in Reuti, Hasliberg region, Switzerland. Both of these were Untours, which seem as if they might just be what you're looking for: www.untours.com

Another suggestion is Sintra, Portugal; lovely town, cooler as it's higher altitude, easy to get around from it. (I spent two weeks there, too...but I did go to Madeira for three days in the middle.)

We spent a week in Glion, Switzerland and could have stayed longer. Glion is a tiny village but you could stay in Montreux which was a lovely town. The trains in Switzerland were amazing and we took day trips to several castles in the area. We were there in May and had gorgeous weather as well. There's lots of opportunities for hiking and lots of easy walks in the area as well - the walk along Lake Geneva out to Chateau Chillon is beautiful.

I am going to cast my vote for one of your original ideas - Positano, or somewhere in that region.

In July 2007 we rented an apt in Sant'Agata (in the hills above Sorrento) for 2 weeks and it was one of the best holidays ever for us. We are usually the type of people to move around a lot, every couple days, so this was a big change for us. We absolutely did not get bored, even with 2 weeks we didn't do/see everything we would have liked.

We had a car but transportation is also widely available. In our 2 weeks we went to Naples (2x), Pompei, Herculum, Capri (2x), Positano, Amalfi, Paestum, Ravello, Sorrento, Priano, did some hiking and also rented a boat for a day to cruise the coast (favorite day of all).

Oh and the food... I don't think we ever had a bad meal, it was all really great.

Have a great time with whatever you decide !

Did you mention the time of year for this adventure?

What about a combination of Lucca and Santa Margherita Ligure; they are not far from one another so you could perhaps think about splitting the two weeks (??) that combo appears to have art, history, walking, great food and wine...

Positano is on a steep hillside. You'd be hiking up and down every day. For a long stay Sorrento makes a better transportation base - for Pompeii and Herculaneum, Capri, the Amalfi Coast (Positano, Ravello, Amalfi). Then there's Paestum, Naples, Mt Vesuvius, etc....

Other thoughts: you didn't mention Switzerland. It has a superb transportation system with connecting trains, buses and boats.

But, given your interests, I suggest the French Riviera. So many artists have made this area their base. There's the Renoir Museum at Cagnes-sur-Mer, the Chagall and Matisse museums in Nice (as well as the Museum of Modern Art and the Museum of Beaux-Arts), the Fondation Maeght at St-Paul-de-Vence, etc. And the food's great too.

If you could tolerate a bigger city but one with a relaxed vibe, Nice is a great transportation center. Otherwise, there's Menton. (You could dip down onto the Italian Riviera.) Or, to the west, Cannes or Antibes.

What a lovely problem.

Since it hasn't been mentioned, I guess Florence is too large...but it is certainly perfectly located for so many beautiful day trips.

If not Florence, what about Siena? Tuscany has so much to offer.

Byrd

As much as I love Sienna, I think Florence would be a better alternative for two weeks in one location. There is easy transportation to Sienna and Lucca, as well as the chance of day trips to Ravenna and Bologna.

In France, you might want to consider Toulouse. It has many nice hotels as well as apartments for rent, and a wide selection of restaurants. It also has access to the attractions of the Southwest, including the castles and villages of the Dordgone, as well as Sarlat and Rocamadour.

For spending two weeks in one place, I'd consider Nice. There are so many easy day-trips from there, and we thought Nice was a great small city, in a great location, with lots of charm.

Here's my trip report from just three nights there:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34810691

Hi, Missjane,

How about Northern Franconia? The cities of Nurnberg, Coburg, Bamberg, Bayreuth, Passau, & Regensburg would all meet your definition of charming and offer some real hidden treasures. Lots of medieval and baroque architecture. There are vast nature parks and forests. All would be easily accessible by train or bus. Regional wine and beer is fabulous, and the food is better than rumored.

Using the same rail pass (Bayern), you could easily take in Munich, Rothenburg, Fussen, and Salzburg.

We need to know what time of year you'll be travelling. I have to say that 2 weeks in the Cinque Terre would be just TOO long. Nothing much to do apart from walk and I mean serious climbing from sea level up AND down again. Same with Positano- pretty but lots of climbing up and down.
I personally would take the suggestion of Amsterdam/Brugge combo or what about Florence/Siena/Lucca- divine!!

Your post has French Riviera written all over. It has EVERYTHING you asked for and then so much more!

This is the place I would rent if I were you: http://www.holiday-rentals.co.uk/p407594 It has four bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, you can walk to the train station and bus where you can go take day ttrips to St. Tropez, Monaco, Cannes, Eze, Villefrance Sur mer, Antibes, Juan Les Pines, Menton, Ventimiglia (Italy; one hour away, less if by train)....that is, if/when you gals get bored of the FABULOUS CITY Nice is. Museums, shopping (amazing!), markets, Easy flights in; direct flights from JFK every day.

I like Bird's suggestion a lot. Bamberg sounds excellent to me. You won't get bored.

Strasbourg also sounds appealing.

Yeah, what time of year are you going to travel? That's important! Wouldn't want to be stuck in the heat in Italy in summer.

Frankly I think 2 weeks in any of those places is too long. None has enough to see/do to keep you occupied.

If youwant to spend 2 weeks in one place I would do a major city with lots to do and good opportunity for day trips (London or Paris for preference).

I second the nomination by Amy for www.Untours.com in Switzerland and would add in Leiden, NL also. We stayed in Kandersteg, CH last year in an Untours apartment within walking distance of the train station, and it was like living at home. The train system is absolutely fantastic for travel in Switzerland.

We were to have stayed in Leiden this year but had a medical problem and had to cancel. Even so, I learned that the Netherlands rail system appears to equal that of Switzerland. Leiden is a University city outside of Amsterdam.

Another suggestion for Untours is their Sampler program where you can spend two weeks in two different locations.

Strasbourg is a possibility. It is lovely and there are many places accessible for day trips by train or other public transport.

Sorry!!! I just read to the bottom of your post and saw that you had already mentioned Strasbourg, doh! :) But it would be a good one

I would suggest one week in Florence and one week in Perugia (the capital city of Umbria, in central Italy.)

Both are extremely interesting cities in and of themselves. Both have marvellous restaurants, very good shopping, enormous amounts of art, and great rail and bus connections.

Perugia has remarkable medieval history and architecture. It is definitely a hilltown, but it's flat at the top, which is the historic centre. It's very easy with its new minimetro to get down to the train station for day trips. For example, it's only about 20 minutes to Assisi by train (although you then need to take a bus up to the historic centre.)

And as far as Florence, its train station and bus station are very central.

Trains in Italy are extremely easy to use and inexpensive.

Both Florence and Perugia have airports so relatively easy access from major international hubs such as Rome.

Hi - I second the motion for Florence as at least one week's destination, though because the train station is so central and even Venice is only 1.5 hours away via train, I would even consider the entire time there as my base. There are great apartments for rent at reasonable prices and if you want to splash out a bit you won't be disappointed. Also, because it's mostly flat, your one group member that can't walk/hike won't feel left out.

Florence and Strasbourg are great bases. Florence is excellent since it is neither too small or too big. A great walking town, with cafes and great food, shops, museums, the Biboli gardens, outlet shopping close by and of course the lovely Tuscan hill towns to visit as well.

Another thing to do is to to first visit Rome for a few days and then take the train to Florence. If its a good time of year, weather wise, this would be perfect.

I too would recommend dropping Cinque Terre from your list.

Hello and thank you to all my kind helpers! I am now spoilt for choice, research-wise. Some nominees I have never heard of - e.g. Montreaux, which is kind of what I was hoping for, but others have reinforced ideas that were fermenting away already, such as Siena, Florence & Northern Franconia. We hope to be going in "shoulder season", ie May. Personally I love the Moselle & Strasbourg combo best, but just got to convince the gang. Researching the other options I now have might change my mind though. As Mimar said, it's a fine dilemma! Thanks so very much to you all. Amy, thanks too for the suggestion of untours - this looks great. Jane.